Acarospora otagensis
Family
Acarosporaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichen - Crustose
Current conservation status
2018 | Data Deficient | Qualifiers: OL
Distribution
South Island: Canterbury (Banks Peninsula), Otago (Cromwell, Dunedin).
Habitat
On rocks, with species of Acarospora, Caloplaca, Candelariella, Rhizocarpon and Xanthoparmelia.
Features
Thallus dull greenish-brown to red-brown, rather leathery, cracked into rather thick (0.2-0.5 mm) angular, areolae; areolae very irregular, centrally separated by deep cracks, rounded sublobulate at margins, ± convex, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., cortex C+ red. Apothecia very small, sunken, 2-3 per areola, 0.3-0.6 mm diam., disc red-brown, matt epruinose. Ascospores minute, ellipsoid to cylindrical, 100-200 per ascus, 3.5-5 × 1.5 µm.
Similar taxa
Similar to A. fuscata in habit and structure but has a pale lower and a paler upper surface, a more determinate thallus and more deeply impressed apothecia.
Substrate
Saxicolous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (26 January 2023). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, and Features sections copied from Galloway (1985) & Galloway (2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.